Building your new home on a budget

There are so many advantages to building your first home over buying it from existing stock. When building you have absolute control over the design and the ability to customise it to suit your budget and your needs. We’ll show you how it can be done on a budget.

Building prices in New Zealand vary quite significantly due to the availability of labour, costs of building materials and tighter construction rules in different regions. Some things remain true wherever in the country you build.

Here are our top tips for building:

Building doesn’t need to be serious, check out Houzz and Pinterest for design inspiration and ideas.

Make a list of areas where you can save and features you’re not willing to compromise on. We’re happy to help you tailor your homes to suit your style without breaking your budget.

Seek out fixed price contracts to ensure costs don’t sneak up on you. Our pricing system is transparent and easy to follow at every stage of the building process.

Keep the structure simple and the floorplan small, at the same time keeping resale in the back of your mind.

When getting the job priced up, talk to your building consultant about the specific materials you’d like to use. We’ll ensure your project is delivered on budget while staying true to your needs.

Have realistic expectations. As a very rough guide, $1500 per square metre is considered a cheap build. $2 - 2500 is more usual, with anything from $3000 up for custom, bespoke homes.

Think about the future. You might want ceramic tiling or hardwood flooring but can’t afford it. Why not just have vinyl for now and invest in an upgrade at a later date.

In developing your budget, you might find it helpful to know what you’re paying for. Talk to your Orange Homes consultant about price breakdowns. Stuff.co.nz also has a series of articles that will give you a rough idea of what the cost of a new home build can break down into.

It’s important to note that the Homestart Grant cannot be used to build a home only and will need to be put towards the purchasing of land. The easiest way to do this is through house and land packages. Orange Homes offers a number of KiwiSaver eligible house plans that are affordable and contemporary. Our prices are fixed and we build with a “no surprises” policy.

Our consultants are happy to guide you through the process and help you plan your dream home, so book a free consultation today and talk to us about how to get started building your new home on a budget.

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